I am tired, but my body refuses to die. It’s the constant hum of pain. Living in a body that constantly hurts is an exhausting experience. It’s not just the sharp, stabbing moments or the dull, throbbing aches; it’s the constant, low-grade hum of pain that fills every quiet moment. It’s the kind of tired that sleep can’t fix, a deep-seated weariness that seeps into your bones and colors every thought.
Victims associated with the Annunciation Catholic School shooting were likely saved by a dedicated, well-trained trauma response and their proximity to Level 1 Trauma Medical Centers. In fact, the hospital where I work is just a few blocks away. Thus, should I require emergency medical care, my clinical outcome improves significantly. However, due to funding cuts from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the future is bleak for rural America.
Michael Steele stated, “Donald Trump is the Golden Calf; he is the thing that they come and bow before. And that they offer up their future political support.” After reading the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ nothing could be truer. The President said there would be no cuts to Medicaid. However, the House Republicans passed plans to cut roughly $716 billion from Medicaid, and program cuts will hit close to home for many residents, even as some welcome the prospect of tighter rules and less government spending. Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates more than 10 million people will likely lose Medicaid and CHIP insurance under the House Republican plan.
Most Americans have a connection to Medicaid. In 2024, Medicaid surged to 78 million recipients. In rural areas, where the share of people with disabilities is higher, residents have lower incomes, and communities are reliant on industries with skimpier health benefits. Overall, about two-thirds (65%) of the public say that someone close to them has received help from Medicaid at some point, including over half (53%) who say either the program has covered them themselves or a member of their family and an additional 13% who say a close friend has been covered. Substantial shares of Democrats (52%), independents (57%), and Republicans (44%) report that Medicaid has covered them or a family member. Nearly all adults (97%) say Medicaid is at least somewhat important for people in their local community, including about three in four (73%) who say it is “very important.”
Ignoring storm clouds on the horizon, voters support lawmakers who cut Medicaid. However, voters neglected a couple of details.
People ask, “If Trump is so bad, why do Trump supporters still like him?”
“Simple,” I replied. “The pain hasn’t arrived yet.”
It’s 1:00 AM. Leaning into the recliner’s headrest and staring through the window onto Lake Michigan, I note the moonlight glistening over whitewashed tips of gentle waves lapping across the shore. Just as I performed several times before, my thoughts slipped whispered, “I expected something.” I expected something because I was told ’a new America’ had once again arrived. Shangri-La had arrived. However, in the days since the inauguration, God sent no angels, no great trumpet heralded, and the elect did not gather from all over the world. The Lord hasn’t descended, people did not rise, and Jesus caught no one in the clouds. Instead, the new America bled supremacy, falsehood as truth, and armed in hate.
“A dizzying 100 days,” the Jewish Journal headlined. The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos just released a poll showing Trump’s approval rating at 39 percent—down six percentage points from February. CNN marks his approval rating at 41 percent—a seven-point drop since February. Not since the first 100 days of the Eisenhower administration have approval numbers been this anemic at this early stage of a presidency, says CNN. Meanwhile, DOGE (or the current administration eliminated approximately 120,000 federal jobs. 120,001 if you include Musk’s job. That’s 1,200 jobs a day.
Breaking News: CNN’s ticker blared, “US military ordering thousands more troops to southern border.” Unnamed officials confirmed that thousands of additional active-duty troops are being deployed to the southern US border with Mexico. The stated purpose: to support Homeland Security and Border Patrol operations. Speculation is swirling about whether this move ties into Texas’ construction of an 80-acre facility outside Eagle Pass, rumored to be a deportation or detention camp. Official confirmation on the facility’s purpose remains elusive.
In an NPR interview, Eagle Pass resident Jessie Fuentes criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott for creating what she called his own immigration force and court system. “Why are we allowing this to happen? Why are we allowing our governor to become a dictator and authoritarian in enforcing immigration policy?” Fuentes asked.
